


Moonlit Whispers

by Shulesta



Category: Slime Rancher (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Lesbians in Space, MochiTrix, Viktor is meant to be gay but he can like who he likes, being unrealistic to the game and offending people, i have no idea how many chapters there will be but probably a lot, mochi needs a hug, possibly a slow burn but we'll see how it goes, possibly and probably a cheesy ending, this is probably absoloutley terrible
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:14:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26929477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shulesta/pseuds/Shulesta
Summary: Beatrix Lebeau doesn't realise how lonely she would be out on the Far, Far Range - but now she's stuck there. But life takes some interesting turns and Bea wonders if she'll be lonely anymore...
Relationships: Beatrix LeBeau/Mochi Miles
Comments: 3
Kudos: 13





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there! This is my first fanfic in a while, so the writing might not be amazing. I have quite a long draft so this might end up as a bit slow-paced... we'll see. Please hit me with any suggestions you have as they would be much appreciated. I think Mochi/Bea are such a cute couple and there need to be more works about them! Don't be put off by the talk about Casey in the first chapter, I swear everything gets better and more interesting in the next few chapters.  
> Also, please don't hate me because I changed a few things compared to the original game :)  
> I should update this fanfic every week or so, but there will be longer gaps sometimes!!  
> Also, I’m aware that I’ve been spelling vacpack wrong (not vacpac!) but I’ve kind of made it a habit now so deal with it.

Part 1: The Far, Far Range - Beatrix Lebeau - No Stone Unturned

Chapter 1

Exhausted, I dragged myself back to the house. My limbs ached and sagged deep in their sockets, and my vac pac suddenly felt alarmingly heavy in my arms. God, I had overdone it this time. I felt just about ready to collapse in the archway and lay there in an eternal slumber.  
It had been a hectic day on the ranch, but what was new. The Quantums had been acting up yet again, and I was trying to build a hydro-turret that could wash away their teleportation powers. It seemed a little cruel, but it doesn't harm them - and besides, there's nothing worse than tarr bounding around the grotto.  
After gently closing the front door, I collapsed onto my tattered chair and pulled myself towards the 7Zee computer, fiddling with the plastic peeling at its sides.As it flickered on, I instantly felt a familiar knot of sadness tie itself around my stomach.  
Casey.  
Their Starmail was open on the screen. I tried to move my mind away from the last arguments fought back on Earth, but failed. I had been thinking about them all day - and I missed them like an ache in my heart. But I'd never replied to their Starmail. Maybe it was because I felt guilty of the day when I suddenly packed up and left to a planet 1,000 light years away. Maybe it was because... I was scared that I was beginning to love them like a sibling instead of a partner. It was so selfish.  
I sat there, turning an idea over in my head for a while. Maybe Casey would understand if I replied. I could explain everything. But what if they were angry? I mean, they had been sending Starmail from earth ever since I arrived at the Far, Far range, and I had never replied. Not even once. They probably thought that I was ignoring them, or just being plain rude.  
I pondered it until I noticed the luminous echoes glowing brightly outside. Then I sighed and tapped onto the computer. 

New Starmail

Subject: _I’m sorry._   
To: _Casey Silverton_   
From: _Beatrix Lebeau_

_Hi Casey,  
I know it’s been quite a while, but I wanted to say that I’m sorry.  
Hopefully, you received the message from 7Zee and know that I'm.... probably stuck here for the rest of my life. My ship crashed and now I can't get home.  
And that's why I cherish every Starmail you send; life is lonely out here in the Far Far Range, and I’m always thinking about how much I miss you.  
And I don’t mind if you’re angry with me. I would be. I don’t know what came over me, it just felt wrong to reply to your mail. I felt as if I couldn't bear to speak to my life on Earth after I'd just abandoned it.  
You’d love it here. Everything is so calm and quiet – the animals are so different, the way of life is so different, and the land is just stunning. I enjoy having no one to take orders from – no taxes, no policemen, no evil landladies. But it’s empty and desolate, and I only have my slimes for company. I’d do anything to be with you right now.  
It was selfish of me to leave Earth so suddenly, and I’ve been guilty ever since. When you moved to California to chase your dreams, I had the urge to follow mine. Your beautiful music is what defines you, Casey, and at the time I was just Bea, the strange, nerdy girl who needed to get herself a life. _

I paused. Was this worth it? I was making myself sound self-centred and annoying. The last sentence in particular seemed self-pitying… but Casey would understand, wouldn’t they? I mean, I’m possibly the most self conscious person in the universe.  
I tucked a few strands of aqua hair out of my eyes and carried on.

_Well, I haven't made a point yet. I'm scared, Casey. Scared that I won't ever be able to see you again, scared that... my love for you and my family might disappear. Scared that, if I replied to your Starmail, would it be like the goodbye we never had? All those precious memories we made together, back on Earth, what if they're forgotten?  
I thought about that New Year’s Eve too, four winters ago. It was so perfect. If I ever fix my Astro-pod, I promise I’ll travel home. A year later and we’ll be eating tacos on the motel roof again._

__

__

_Love and best wishes,  
Bea._

With a reluctant click, I sent the Starmail, not knowing if I would ever be able to fulfil that promise. I yawned, and, deciding not to dwell on it any longer, jumped into bed and finally let my weary, bruised body sleep.

The loud call of a roostro sent me flying out of bed. Was it really morning already?  
Suddenly, a wave of shock hit me as I realised that Viktor had (very formally) invited me to his lab to do some more experiments in the 'Slimulation' that he was working on. He offered a good price, but when would I get the time for that? The ranch was a mess, my slimes were starving, and I had spent all my money on 7Zee upgrades yesterday, so I needed to sell some plorts. I then needed to head over to the Glass Desert to empty my pumps for pepper jam, and also find some oka-oka in the Indigo Quarry to replant for my Rad Slimes.  
Just thinking about my to-do list made me shudder. I would have done anything to just rest for a few more minutes...  
I wanted to pretend that I might be able to make it to Viktor's place in the evening, but I knew it wasn't possible. We'd reschedule, I was sure.  
On my way to the Grotto, I slipped down a narrow alleyway and crept into a small room chiselled out from the glistening rock. For a moment, I gazed into the shimmering, grey stone and imagined myself floating through space, alone. Floating aimlessly, floating with no purpose, just floating and hoping that one of the stars I could see out there was Earth. I wanted someone to be floating with me.  
I shook myself. Where had that come from?  
Spread out across the floor was a heap of blue metal. Its paint was peeling and it was badly scratched along one side. Various parts had been scorched, and somehow the faint smell of burnt metal still lingered in the air.  
I had sat in that pod for over a year until it ran out of fuel and crash-landed in the middle of the Indigo Quarry. At least, 7Zee said it was about a year, but I wasn’t sure. I had been fast asleep the entire journey. I realised that, actually, I didn’t know how old I was, because time passes differently on this planet. And yet I still tried to keep track of time using Earth days and cycles. It was stupid, as Mochi so often reminded me, but it kept me from going crazy. Well, I hope it did.  
If I could somehow fix my pod, I would be free to travel anywhere I wanted, like back home, on earth. My initial intention when I stared, star-struck, at the advertisements to travel through space, was to stay on the ranch for a few years, and then to go home again. When I crashed here, I was devastated to think that I might be stuck here forever. I tried to fix the pod a little every day, but I wasn't making much progress. If only there was someone who could stay at the ranch and help me. Mochi would probably be perfect for the job, but she wouldn't talk to me ever since... the incident. She hated showing her emotions, so after what she told me, she just couldn't cope when we tried to talk.  
I sighed as I realized how distracted I was getting. I needed to get to work! Quickly, I picked up the picture of Casey pinned to the pod’s chair and blew it a kiss. Then I positioned it on top of the pod and rushed over to the Grotto, where hungry Phosphor largos were waiting for me.

******

That night I couldn’t sleep. I realized that it would be weeks; months even, before Casey would receive my Starmail. After all, we lived 1,000 light years away. I hoped that technology might have changed since I left Earth a few years ago. Maybe the Starmail would be able to travel quickly now. I wish I had asked.  
I thought about Thora, and Ogden, and how they had been so kind to me when I first arrived here. I thought about Hobson, and the electronic notes he had left all around the range for me. But most of all, I thought about Mochi Miles. Her sharp temper and anger made her the least friendly person I knew. And she wasn’t exactly discreet about being the multi-billionaire daughter of a multi-billionaire celebrity.  
But if I could somehow convince her that what happened at the party was far behind us, then we might talk more. We used to have quite a friendship, seeing as she was the only person who could come visit my ranch easily.  
The other ranchers had warned me of Mochi’s tricky ways, of how she seemed to have no emotions but aggression and rage. But the more time we spent together, the more I realized that she was actually just sad inside, but too embarrassed to show it.  
As a child, she rebelled against her father as much as possible. She had grown up with seven brothers, which brought a lot of competitiveness into the house. Her mother left them when Mochi was young, so she had been the only girl in the family for as long as she could remember. Because of this, she always felt very misunderstood and underestimated, and so became very angry. That was until her father told her that he wanted to assign her a ‘special mission’. He said that she would be perfect at recovering the family's business on a distant planet. Mochi suddenly realised that maybe her father had been paying attention to her work. She spent hours and hours designing houses and engineering new inventions, hacking into computer systems and fiddling with her father's technology. For the first time, she felt special, and confident, and… happy. She packed her bags and found herself an Astro-pod, and a year later she was out on this planet.  
Well, it turned out that Tatsuya probably just wanted to get rid of her, to get her out of his hair. Because although he gave her plenty of work to do here, he said that she was in the way of his company, always trying to change it with her ‘modern ideas’. Mochi was devastated when he told her this. She felt unwanted. I don’t blame her.  
She only told me the beginning of her story. Hobson had filled me in where she was too embarrassed to tell me, and although he loved her like a daughter, he believed that she needed to let out her emotions.  
She never came out to her father. I can’t imagine what that would feel like, hiding everything from your parent like that.  
I don’t know when, but at some point I let my mind wander over fond memories on earth, and I slowly dozed off.


	2. Fireflies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beatrix decides to recover her 'friendship' with Mochi Miles.  
> (This chapter briefly touches on war, shows slightly gory depictions but doesn't explain anything in detail :) )

Part 1: The Far, Far Range - Beatrix Lebeau - No Stone Unturned  
Chapter 2

I woke with a start, panting. Sweat dripped down my face. Shaking, I flicked on my alarm clock. 04:45.  
I had dreamed that night, for the first time in months. When the nightmares start, they never really stop. In my dream, Earth was at war. Casey was drowning in a thick black liquid, screaming desperately for help. Blood and dismembered limbs lay scattered around them. They cried out for me. The screamed for me, but I wasn’t there. I had left them, and it was too late. I had had this dream before, I thought.  
'Well,' I thought, pretending the dream had never happened, 'I made a deadline. Today I'm going to talk to Mochi.'  
After a painful ten minutes of trying to ease out the thick knots in my hair, I slipped out of my warm, cosy bed, still clasping my little pink slime plushie. I trudged over to the computer and typed into the Starmail search bar:

Starmail  
"Mochi Miles'  
89 results

Before I wrote to her, I hesitated and clicked on the last email she sent. 

To: _Beatrix Lebeau, Viktor Humphries, Ogden Ortiz, Hobson Twillgers, Thora West and BOb_  
From: _Mochi Miles_  
(no subject)

_yo guys,  
dyall wanna come around to my place tomorrow for a laid-back hangout?? i know its only the 7 of us but... its been ages since ive seen u all and i wanna catch up. as most of u know, the teleporter to one of my many manors is at the entrance to the ancient ruins. meet me at 9pm on the front porch of the manor. ive attached a map of the valley for the dum dums who don't know their way around.  
thx a bunch,  
Mochi, top rancher  
ps, BOb, u don't have to come but there will be chickens!_

I smiled. Mochi always seemed to be in such a rush - the practical businesswoman inside her. I missed the days when we'd just goof off as friends.  
That night when we met up seemed so surreal now. When Mochi realised what she said, she ran - or stumbled - out of the room, leaving one exasperated scream of anger before she slammed her front door behind her: ‘Shit! Oh SHIT!’ I emerged from the room slowly, clutching my head from the loud noise and feeling completely dazed. Everyone looked pitying in for Mochi, or maybe me. They just froze and stared at me, like 'how did you manage to break her this time?'. And Viktor... he was just, well, he looked like he might burst into tears. Thora simply sighed sympathetically. Hobson was almost smiling slightly? He seemed to know what was going on. And I, I was just confused. What she had told me wasn't even that bad, but I didn't believe it, of course. We were both so drunk we were hardly making any sense.

____

New Starmail  
To: _Mochi Miles_  
From: _Beatrix Lebeau_  
(no subject)

____

_Heya Mochi,  
You don't have to reply to this, but I want you to know that the things you said before are behind me. I'd like it to be the same for you too. Because I miss you, and I want to see you again, can't we just forget about what happened?  
Anyways, hope you're doing ok.  
Bea_

____

I decided to keep it short and to the point. There was nothing else to say, really. I sent the message and then picked up my vacpac as I left the house.  
The day was fairly relaxed. I accidentally created a honey-dervish largo, which I kept in the corral by the house. Then I explored the Glass Desert for a while and made a couple of oases. I love that place, even if it is deadly. There is something so special about the vast, sky blur shards of glass, glistening enticingly in the scorching sun. I feel alive there, I thrive off the tornadoes and the heat storms and the blasts of fire. I suppose a bit of danger's good for the soul.  
At some point, my vacpac flashed gold to let me know that I'd received a Starmail. I expected it to be another ad from 7Zee, but just in case, I rushed home and turned on the computer.

____

Starmail  
! 1 new message !

____

____

To: _Beatrix Lebeau_  
From: _Mochi Miles_  
(no subject)

____

_hey Bea,  
head over to my place if u can. to make it a bit easier for u i re-activated the teleporter in that dump of a place u call a ranch expansion, the grotto. im free all day so come whenever.  
Mochi _

____

Immediatley, I sprang from my chair, sprinted out of the house and to the grotto, a cloud of dust forming in my scrambled run. My stomach tingled with nervous excitement as I plummeted into a world of warp tech. It almost felt like butterflies.  
The Valley was as beautiful as ever. The sky was a wash of pastel blue, and pine trees towered high above my head. Giant cliffs to my right sloped into a stunning, lush meadow that was alive with nature.  
"Hey, chump," came a hoarse voice behind me, as someone thumped me painfully hard on the back. It sounded like it hadn't been used in months. "So you finally decided to show up, huh?"  
I chuckled. This was the Mochi I knew and loved.  
"Heya, Moch." I spun around, and there she stood. As always, her black mop of hair was messy, her black and purple clothes were ripped and her black boots were muddy. But, not surprisingly, her intricate makeup was perfectly formed and her diamond earrings glittered in the sunlight.  
She ran up to me and hugged me tight. Well _that_ certainly _wasn't_ the Mochi I knew. I think I liked her all the same.  
'I've missed you so much,' she breathed.  
'Me too,' I whispered, 'me too.'  
She split the hug, and, clearing her throat in embarrassment, stumbled backwards.  
'So, um,' she said, her business-like tone returning to her voice, 'how about we finally head down to the track? Grab some damn plorts.'  
'Sounds good!'  
So we headed down to Mochi’s Quicksilver Slimes, the sun glaring in our eyes as we kicked the red, dusty ground beneath our feet. We caught up on what had happened since we last talked, about discovering Saber Slimes and their plorts, finding Gold Gordos and Gilded Ginger. I didn’t mention the pod, because I didn’t want to jump into mundane to do lists. And besides, the pod wasn’t the reason I was spending time with Mochi. I just wanted things to be like they were in old times, and I was also desperate for someone to talk to. There was no mention of the incident, either. That, I knew, was _definitely_ out of bounds.  
At last, we reached the Quicksilver track in the heart of Nimble Valley. It was absolutely huge! The road was rough and rocky, and occasionally opened up to make gaping holes surrounded by cliff. I had been here before, but I don't think I realised how amazingly dangerous it was.  
We then activated the large, glistening wall of static charge, and nervously jumped through it. A stunning wave of electricity flowed through me as my vacpac began to change shape. It quickly morphed into an altered energy gun vacpac that could blast electricity at Quicksilvers. Suddenly, I felt energized and alert.  
Mochi's perfect eyes crackled and sparked as she turned to face me.  
'So, are ya ready, Bea?'  
Her hair was standing on end and her clothes seemed slightly frazzled.  
I gulped.  
'Yeah, just about. Let's go.'  
'Remember', she said, 'the Quicksilver Slimes here lie dormant until you activate the generator to send out a pulse and get them moving. But this generator only works for so long and then needs to recharge. In that time you need to try and zap as many as you can with a tasty spark shot from your charge gun. If you're good at it, which I highly doubt, I might organise a business deal and pay a fair price. Good luck. Your slow butt will definitely need it.'  
We ran over to the centre of the track, watching the hoard of Quicksilvers growling and bustling in a corner. I had never really appreciated how fascinating they were, with their glistening silver bodies that glinted in the sun, and the way they almost glided instead of bounced like other slimes.  
A big red button with a timer had been placed in front of us. It was counting down from '10:19' in seconds.  
'That's the time we have until the charge runs out,' Mochi began, 'so we better start now if we wanna get enough plorts. Ok... get ready to run in 3... 2... 1..."  
Mochi slammed down the button with tremendous force, and a sound blared from hidden speakers.  
'DING DING DING!'  
We sped off down the track as fast as we possibly could, racing after the impossible fast Quicksilver Slimes.  
Quicksilvers are small creatures that take a similar shape to fire slimes - sort of fried egg-shaped. Like Puddle Slimes, Quicksilvers don't sustain themselves from food, but they feed on another substance: electricity. They need it to survive.  
Most people think they're the fastest animals in the universe, and they're probably right. It's pretty cool, but because they HATE humans, feeding them is quite an effort.  
I somehow managed to zap a few slimes when we just started, but after that, I found it ridiculously hard. God, I was _terrible_ at this. It's lucky that Mochi's good with technology, because she altered the charge guns so that they automatically collect Quicksilver plorts. They're burning hot and really hard to handle, so I'd hate to have to suck them up individually.  
Mochi, however, could just be seen out of the corner of my eye, failing to miss any slime that passed. I didn't even know that was humanly (or whatever she was) possible!  
After ten minutes of agonizing sprinting, jumping, and zapping, the rush of adrenalin that had been surging through my body faded away, and my charge gun turned back into my normal vacpac. I sighed with a mixture of sadness and relief.  
'So, what'dya got?' Mochi asked, barely even short of breath.  
'43 plorts. You?'  
She snorted. 'Well, 358, but don't worry. 43's pretty damn good for your first try...' she paused, in thought,  
'second try.'  
I gaped at her. 'Wow. How do you do that?!'  
She flashed me a grin.  
'Not everyone's the most skilled rancher and engineer in the universe, Bea,' which made me roll my eyes but smile at the same time.  
'Well, I should be getting back home now, but--'  
"No!' she cried, '...please don't go. You've only been here half an hour. Just stay for a drink by the manor? Please?'  
I hesitated. It had been ages since I had spent some quality time with Mochi - or anyone, actually. Just ten minutes couldn't hurt, surely? It wasn't like I had that much to do. Besides, she said the p-word - when was the last time she said that?  
'Okay, but just for a bit.'  
'Thanks, Bea. Let's head through the teleporter, then. Oh, and despite the fact that you're pretty terrible at Quicksilver plort harvesting, I'd still like to offer you up on that job.'  
I smiled. See, Viktor, I thought, she does have a heart. And a pretty good one at that.  
So we jumped through the teleporter and before me was Mochi's beautiful house. Suddenly years of friendship flashed before me, all those nights of staring up at the stars, of dancing, and the night of the party.  
Maybe... maybe she was the one.  
She smiled subtly and skipped off to the door of her house.  
'Stay there, I'll be back in a sec.'  
Moments later, she returned with two tins of beer in her hand and collapsed onto the grass by the lake. I ran to join her and she handed me a beer. I giggled and asked, 'Where do you get these from? I mean, there's not exactly a supermarket around the corner.'  
She laughed. 'Well, I have that old supply drop system from Vik, remember? Obviously, it's meant for science stuff, but I find that once in a while they'll make an exception. Well, you know, I have to rig the supplies a bit, but other than that it's innocent."  
The sun was setting now, and the sky was a wash of reds, yellows and pink.  
I chuckled. 'Oh Moch. Where did you even learn to hack? I guess you were used to being around tech?'  
'Yeah.' She half laughed, half sighed. 'I taught myself how to alter my dad's stuff so I could watch him struggle.'  
I lay down next to her and we watched the fireflies merge into the stars for a while. I felt peaceful from the depths of my soul. Next to her, I felt oddly... safe.  
I had never seen Mochi like this before. She was a different person that night. I hoped I would see more of that person sometimes.  
We were just lying there in silence, until she murmured,  
'You know, I don't think I want you to forget about the night at the party. Just... don't mention it too much.'  
I smiled - I hadn't forgotten it at all. I didn't want to, either.  
'Of course, Moch. And please, please say that we'll always keep talking? Because for those six months, I really, really missed you."  
"Yeah. I think that's best."  
We stayed there for ages, chatting occasionally, sipping our beer, but mainly just watching the fireflies glow out into the sunset. Our moonlit whispers were gentle and hushed. In that time, I realised that maybe I didn't want to go back home. Maybe... I could stay here forever, with Mochi and my friends on the Range.  
But I missed my normal life. I missed Earth, and I missed my family. I missed being able to smell fresh bread in the bakery, and freshly cut grass in the park, and I missed...  
Casey.  
I jolted upright. How could I be thinking about staying here? I had a life I had left behind, a partner I had left behind, and I was never going to let either of them go.  
'Mochi, I think I should be going. Sorry."  
I heard the crinkling sound of her violently crumpling her beer can with just her finger and thumb. She groaned as she sat up and shrugged.  
'Fine. Just...’ She trailed off. ‘come visit again sometime.'  
'Of course. Bye, then!'  
'Later, tater.'  
I made my way back to the teleporter that had a link to my house and stepped through. I found myself gazing over my beautiful, beautiful ranch. The slime sea glistened next to me, reflecting the last light of sunset.  
I dragged my aching feet to the bench that stood before the water and collapsed onto it.  
Thinking of Casey reminded me of the heartfelt music we’d listen to on Earth. One of their favourite songs popped into my head.  
“And here,” I sang under my breath, “am I sitting in a tin can,  
Far above the world. Planet Earth is…” I paused.  
“Planet Earth…”  
I found my eyes welling up as I sang in a trembling voice, “Planet Earth is blue, and there’s nothing I can do.”  
I missed my home so much. I wondered what was happening there right now.

____

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I hope you liked this chapter. I found this much more entertaining to write that the last one :)  
> Hopefully, following on from when Bea wonders about what's happening on Earth, the next chapter will be a brief second part to the story written on Earth. Apologies if it's a while until it's posted, I have a busy few weeks ahead.  
> Have a good day to everyone out there reading this! (Just kidding, the only person reading this will be me because this fanfic is rubbish lol)  
> :) :)
> 
> Update: Sorry I haven’t posted the next chapter yet. My laptop recently... died, and with it, I lost my draft of Moonlit Whispers. I’m trying to recover it right now, and I should hopefully have it back soon! If not, I’ll just rewrite the story, it’s no big deal.  
> Again, sorry it’s been so long!


	3. For Bea, Always

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A super quick overview of life on earth. More specifically, life on earth for the little-mentioned musician, Casey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really debating whether I should include the super un-original song that somehow finds its way into EVERY Slime Rancher fanfic, because I'd quite like it if I didn't, but the chapter wouldn't really make sense without it.   
> Please don't hate me!

Part 2: Earth - For Bea, Always

1,000 light-years away, on a little, unimportant planet known as Earth, a large crowd bustled through dimly lit corridors, along rows of velvet-lined benches, and eventually scattered around the huge singing hall. The people chattered under their breaths as they found their seats, anxious to see the return of Casey Silverton and their new album. The sun faded into twilight above, and a cool breeze of air conditioning relieved them from the insufferable heat outside.   
Backstage, a short young adult with a dusty fuschia pixie cut prepared themself for the performance. Their fingers trembled slightly as they twiddled with the tuning on their guitars and combed their messy hair back from their face. Then they turned to a glamoroud woman and asked,  
"How many people did you say, Lynette?"  
"Uhh..." Lynette murmured as she scrolled through her phone, "seven thousand and eight hundred."  
They gulped. _Bea would be so proud right now,_ they thought. _The only concerts she came to had about thirty people attending!_  
"Right, err, thanks Lynette."  
Patrick Henderson, a smartly dressed, kindly man with a smiling round face and nervous eyes, approached them while trying to avoid the various tangled wires and cameras dispersed around the room.   
"So, Casey, are you ready to get up there?"  
"Yeah," Casey breathed, "I'm ready."  
Patrick led her round to the back entrance of the stage.  
"Good luck, Ci-Ci. You'll do great."  
"Thanks Pat. See you after the show."  
Their heart racing, Casey stepped onto the stage.   
"Hi everyone!"   
A painful ring screeched out from the microphone, and Casey stumbled in embarassment, but roaring applause filled the air nevertheless.   
"I am so excited to show my new album to you all!"  
More deafening clapping and whooping.   
As Casey continued to talk about their shows ahead, they placed the electric guitar onto a stand next to them and swung the acoustic over their shoulder. They silently fingered some chords and repositioned the mic.   
Thinking about their first song gave them a pang of sadness inside, but they were sure their fans would love it. Well, they really, really hoped so.  
"The first song I am singing today," they began, "is written about my... my friend. Who is no longer on Earth because they were - are - so adventurous. This is 1,000 Light Years Away!"  
They inhaled deeply and sang in a pure, honey-like voice:

“Oh please don’t say that you’ll go,  
My heart can’t bear the news,  
Just knowing that you’ll be a thousand light years away  
If you do.

And will you know when it’s through,  
When you find what you’re looking for,  
Will you know what to do  
A thousand light years away when you do,  
Oh when you do.

And I should have said it before you were gone,  
Because I’m kicking myself for waiting oh so long,  
I should have held you near,  
But every time I feared that  
Somehow you just wouldn’t feel the same.

So please don’t say that you’ll go,  
My heart can’t bear the new,  
Just knowing that you’ll be a thousand light years away  
If you do.  
Oh if you do.

And I’m just sitting here gazing up at the stars,  
Let’s say we pick one out and call the whole thing ours?  
And even though the light we see,  
Ain’t the same for you and me   
Well you’ll know when I’ll know that  
You and I can even be a thousand light years away,  
And I’ll still love you.  
Oh yes, I do,  
I love you.”


End file.
